Last year I worked with a wonderful author by the name of Marcia. She was a pro, knew her stuff, definitely claimed her expertise, but had a slight problem that I didn’t realize initially, but soon became very clear. This simple mistake cost her a shot on live TV. I don’t want this to happen to you…
We had worked together to create a fantastic pitch for her book. It was smart, timely, and irresistible. In fact, it landed her a pre-interview with a local TV producer, which is often the final step before being invited to be a guest on the show. So we set up a date for the pre-interview and then that day came.
The producer started with the simplest question:
“So, what’s your book about?”
Marcia launched into a passionate explanation… her research, her backstory, the key takeaways, her journey of writing the book, and a little history for context. It was heartfelt and packed with information.
There was just one problem.
Three minutes later, she was still talking. And three minutes with a producer is a very LONG time.
The producer thanked her for her time and said they’d be in touch. But they weren’t. The opportunity quietly disappeared.
When Marcia realized they weren’t getting back to her, she called me, heartbroken. After following up with the producer, I explained what happened:
Media interviews are not lectures. They are conversations. Producers and hosts want to know, in just a few short, compelling sentences, what your book is about and why it matters to their audience. The trick is to leave them curious and wanting more, not completely overwhelmed because you gave them way too much information to process.
As an author, it’s natural to want to explain everything because you don’t want to leave anything out! But this is exactly what not to do with the media.
Marcia and I did a little media training after that to get her to answer clearly, quickly, and leave the listener wanting more.
Weeks later, she landed another interview and nailed it.
Bottom line
When it comes to media, less really is more. Save the deep dives for the pages of your book.
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. If you’d like to learn how to avoid this and other media pitfalls, join me for my free webinar next Tuesday: 5 Media Mistakes Authors Make (and What To Do Instead). I’ll show you how to land the interview and shine when you’re doing it.
P.S.S. Remember: Don’t Talk Too Much!
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